Yamaha rider Michael van der Mark says he was forced to intervene as Lewis Hamilton's speed on Superbike track day caused a concern. The five-time world champion was told to slow down before working on his riding style.
Hamilton tried out a Yamaha YZF-R1 bike earlier in December alongside Cal Crutchlow. During the event, Hamilton crashed but managed to avoid any injuries.
"Lewis already did two track days on his bike [before], and the people of his team were a little bit concerned because of his speed," van der Mark told motorsport.
"He was very fast, but he didn't have a riding style. He had lots of lean angle, so the initiative came a bit from his team that he'd get a few tips from professionals."
“On the first day, I’ve was only trying to make him go a bit slower. I had to stop him, he’s not afraid at all, and he tried to take corners as fast as with his car. During the second day we worked a lot on his style,” van der Mark concluded.
Hamilton, 33, is contracted with Mercedes until the end of the 2020 season, the year before the major rule changes. He won't be racing motorbikes full time any time soon!